Resistors are incorporated in electronic circuits for many different purposes. Although almost every element of an electronic circuit has some resistance to flow of electrical current, the term “resistor” is used herein as referring to a device the primary purpose of which is to introduce resistance into the circuit.
Many electronic circuits are fabricated using circuit panels having electrically conductive traces extending on one or more dielectric layers, and, in some cases, having one or more conductors extending through one or more dielectric layers in holes or “vias.” Considerable effort has been devoted in the art to development of circuit panels with resistors, capacitors and inductors formed as part of the circuit panel itself, commonly referred to as “embedded passives.” Typically, resistors used as embedded passives are formed as strips or regions of material having relatively high electrical resistivity extending along a surface of a circuit panel. Resistors of this type consume valuable surface area on the panel. This may increase the overall size of the assembly. Further, certain resistors of this type can introduce significant unwanted capacitance or inductance. Accordingly, despite all of the effort in the art, still further improvement in resistors, in methods of making resistors and in assemblies incorporating resistors would be desirable.